maintaining temperature question

Good afternoon,

I am looking to brew the Oktoberfest from the most recent Zymurgy using California Lager Yeast . This yeast will maintain lagering characteristics up to 65 degrees. It is not recommended for cold fermentation. My basement is a pretty steady 67-8 degrees...does anyone have any suggestions for keeping the fermenter at 60-65 in a 67-8 degree environment (short of turning the AC on!).

I'd really like to brew that all grain recipe and this is the only thing holding me back!

Thanks as always for your help

Search around these forums for a swamp cooler.

Basically, put your fermentor in a Rubbermaid tub, fill the tub with water and put a t shirt over your fermenter to wick water up onto the bucket, and turn a fan in it.

That may be enough, and if you want cooler than float some frozen bottles of water in the tub and replace them every 12 hours.

Conduction with the concrete garage floor has been working for me. I've built a box without a bottom and that serves to keep the cool in and the light out....it's not officially lagering but it's good enough for G'ment work.

I should say I use glass ferms so I think that helps the process.